Collapsible truck.



No. 669,222. Patented Mar. 5, [90L L. E. RUHER.

COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK.

' (Application filed Dec. 3, 1900..

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Patented Mar. 5, l90l.

L. E. nuusn. COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK.

( Application filed Dec. 8, 1900.

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, supported or moved is adapted to rest.

UNITED STATES PATENT LOUIS EUGENE RUHER, OF WAVERLY, NEW YORK.

COLLAPSIBLE TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,222, dated March 5, 1901. Application filed December 3, 1900. Serial No. 38,468. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS EUGENE RUHER, of Waverly, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in collapsible trucks, and particularly to the class of trucks known as funeral trucks, which are especially designed for use in churches and other public places, one object being to provide an extensible truck so constructed and arranged as to permit of its being readily wheeled down a flight of steps and at the same time maintaining the casket thereon in practically a horizontal position.

A further object resides in its collapsible feature, whereby all the parts may be folded within a small compass.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a view of my improved truck in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection, and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view, of the truck in its folded position.

1 represents a rectangular extensible platform or frame upon which the casket to be The main section of this extensible platform or frame consists of the side members 3 3, end members 4 4, central bar 5, connecting said end members, and a centrally-disposed crossbar 6, connecting the said side members,while the extensible or sliding section thereof,which is adapted to slide in ways 7, formed in the bottom faces of side members 3 3, also consists of the side members 8 8, end members 9 9, central bar 10, connecting said end members, and cross-bar 11, connecting the said side members. This extensible section is firmly held against the under face of main section of the platform by means of the centrally-located plate 12 and forward member 4, through which latter the sliding section moves, the central bar 10 of the latter being provided with an elongated slot 13, through which depends a threaded bolt 14, rigidly carried by the central bar 5 of the main section. This bolt carries a thumb-nut 15 for locking said extensible section against accidental movement.

The centrally-located plate 12, which is rigidly secured to the under face of the main section of the platform 1, is provided at its ends with the oppositely-located notches 16 16 and at its center and in line with said notches with a hole through which projects the threaded end of bolt 17, which latter is firmly held in cross-bar 5 against rotation.

A plate 18, similar to plate 12, is pivotally connected to the latter by means of thumbnnt 19, which is adapted to screw on the threaded depending end of bolt 17. Near the outer ends of plate 18 are hinged the bifurcated wheel-supporting brackets or hangers 2O 20, the hinged connection being so effected as to permit of the latter being swung outwardly from each other when it is desirable to collapse the entire structure. These brackets or hangers are provided on their upper ends with centrally-located tongues or bosses 21 21, adapted when said brackets or hangers are in their operative positions to snugly fit and rest within the alining notches formed in the plates 12 and 18, whereby rotary movement on the part of plate 18 and all lateral movement on the part of said brackets or hangers, as well as undue strain on the hinged connections, are prevented. Each of these brackets or hangers is held against accidental swinging movement on its hinge by the flat angular-shaped springs 22 22, the free ends of which engage pins 23 23, carried by the inner faces of said brackets. 'lhese brackets or hangers are provided near their open or lower ends with suitable bearings 24 24, on which the rubber-tired wheels 26 26 revolve, which latter when the truck is at rest, as when supporting a casket in church, may be securely clasped between the open and slightly-yielding ends of said brackets or hangers by screwing home the thumb-nuts 27 27, carried on the threaded ends of bearings 24 24.

The main section of platform 1 is provided at one end with a swinging headpiece, while the sliding section of said platform is provided at its outer end with a handle 29, by means of which the operator may quickly and readily adjust the length of the platform and also control the movement of the truck.

The truck above described may be quickly converted into a bier for supporting a casket in a church or other public building by simply disengaging from pins 29 the free ends of legs 30, which latter are pi votally connected at their opposite ends to the side members 2 2 of the main section of platform 1, and bringing them in a position to firmly rest upon the fioor.

The operation of conveying a casket or body down a flight of steps maybe easily accomplished with my device without trouble by two persons and in the following manner: Before the body is placed in position upon the platform 1 the latter is adjusted to the proper length, the holdback orswinging headpiece is raised to its elevated position, and the thumb-nuts 27 27 unscrewed sufficiently to permit the wheels 26 26 to rotate on their bearings, after which the body is then placed upon the platform, and until the steps to be descended are reached but one person is required to move and handlethe truck.

To convey a body downstairs, the bier or truck should be rolled to the head of the stairs, one man grasping the handles simply to steady the bier or truck and maintain it in a horizontal position and another man at the holdback or headpiece for controlling the lowering movement. By now pushing the bier forwardly the man at the headpiece can readily lower the wheels over the tread of the sill down onto the first step. The bier can now be pushed along until the center of gravity passes the edge of the first step, and by simply holding back on the headpiece it can be quickly and safely lowered to the second step, and so on down the flight to the bottom, the man at the handles simply guiding the truck and maintaining it in a horizontal position.

It is evident that changes in the form and construction of the several parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the details herein shown and described, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a collapsible truck, the combination with a platform,of a plate ad justably connected to said platform, means for securing said plate in its normal position, a pair of brackets hinged to and depending from said adj ustable plate, means for locking said brackets in their normal positions and Wheels mounted on suitable bearings carried by said brackets, substantially as set forth.

2. In atruck, the combination with a platform, of an adjustable plate connected to said platform and provided at its ends with notches, brackets hinged to said plate and having tongues or bosses adapted to snugly fit within said notches and wheels mounted on suitable bearings carried by said brackets, substantially as set forth.

3. In a truck, the combination with a platform, of a plate ad justably connected to said platform and provided with notches, brackets pivotally connected at the ends of said plate and provided with tenons or bosses adapted to enter said notches in the platewhereby the plate and brackets are locked together, and wheels mounted in suitable bearings carried by said brackets, substantially as set forth.

4. In a truck, the combination with an extensible platform, and a holdback or headpiece pivotally connected to its forward end, of a pivoted plate carrying wheels and means for locking said plate to the platform, substantially as set forth. 7

5. In a truck, the combination with an extensible platform comprising two sections, means for locking the sections together and a holdback or headpiece pivotally connected to the main section, of a plate pivoted to said platform and carrying wheels and means for locking said plate to the platform, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a platform, of a pair of wheels depending from the center of said platform and connected thereto, means for locking the Wheels against rotation and legs located near the respective ends of the platform and adapted to be moved in a position to support said platform, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a truck comprising an extensible platform and means forlocking the sliding section to the main section, of a turn-table mounted on the under side of said platform, means for locking said turntable to the platform, brackets depending from the turn-table and Wheels mounted in suitable bearings carried by said brackets, substantially as set forth.

8. A collapsible truck, comprising an extensible platform, one section of which is adapted to slide Within the other, a headpiece adapted to fold on top of said platform, legs adapted to fold alongside of the side members of the platform and wheels supporting brackets adapted to fold outwardly against the bottom of the platform, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a platform and a notched plate secured to the under side thereof, of a swinging plate pivotally mounted on the notched plate,rneans for locking the plates together, brackets hinged to the swinging plate and having tonguesor bosses adapted to enter the notches in the plate, wheels carried by said brackets and catches for locking the brackets in their upright or operative positions, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS EUGENE RUHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN T. GASETHER, E. A. VAUGHN. 

